Dynamo pull out win over Whitecaps on late goal

Griffin Dorsey completed a rare brace with a ferocious finish from the edge of the penalty area in the 87th minute, and the visiting Houston Dynamo completed a wild 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.

Adalberto Carrasquilla and Brad Smith also scored for Houston, which won its second straight on the road and third out of four road matches.

The Dynamo prevailed despite seeing a 2-0 halftime lead turned into a 3-2 second-half deficit and despite conceding three or more goals for only the second time this season. The reward was a result that lifted the Dynamo (10-7-7, 37 points) two spots into sixth place in the Western Conference table.

Fourth-place Vancouver's Fafa Picault also had a brace and contributed an assist in a three-goal rally during the opening 21 minutes of the second half.

Ranko Veselinovic also scored for the Whitecaps (11-8-5, 38 points), who saw their five-match unbeaten run halted.

It appeared Vancouver might have a chance to make it 4-2 when referee Fotis Bazakos was summoned to the replay monitor to check a possible foul against Picault inside the penalty area. But Bazakos upheld his no-call after consulting the monitor.

Moments later, Smith leveled on an attack that began with a Houston throw-in in the Dynamo's own half.

Sebastian Ferreira eventually played Smith into space down the right flank. And Smith unfurled a 78th-minute strike that sailed almost perfectly into the top right corner.

Both teams pressed for a winner, and Ferreira appeared to have missed an opportunity when he had multiple attempts in the area blocked and then partially cleared.

But Dorsey controlled the partial clearance, took a touch into the penalty area, and then powered a drive that sailed past goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka before he could react.

Vancouver had turned a two-goal halftime deficit into a 3-2 lead by the 66th minute.

Picault pulled the first goal back only three minutes into the second half, heading into an empty net from close range after Ryan Raposo's cross took a fortunate deflection off Houston's Hector Herrera.

Six minutes later, Picault's cross picked out Veselinovic for a header into the top right corner. And then to complete the rally, Picault one-timed Sam Adekugbe's low cross into an open net after an attack down the left also involving Sebastian Berhalter.

--Field Level Media